One Arizona Snowbowl ski instructor is changing lives for people living with disabilities
For Alex Davenport, skiing has always been his passion. But it was while teaching a ski lesson with a special needs skier that ultimately changed his career path.
“My first adaptive lesson happened right here at Snowbowl,” says Davenport. I had zero experience and had no idea what adaptive skiing was, but I went out for 3-hours with him and we had such an awesome, successful lesson. After that day I decided that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
Davenport researched what it would take to be an adaptive ski instructor, reached out to the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), earned his certification in adaptive ski instructor and the Northern Arizona Adaptive Sports Association (NAASA) was founded shortly after.
“When we started this program 8-years ago, we were doing about 12 adaptive ski lessons per season,” says Davenport. “Now, we provide over 500 each season.”
Davenport says he and his team of instructors and volunteers can provide ski lessons for any level of disability. Their main focus is on helping to encourage the students to use all of their abilities with the goal of showing students to ski independently.
“We have a lot of skiers who have gone through our program, learned how to ski, and now visit Snowbowl on their own,” says Davenport. “They have their own equipment and they just get a lift ticket and come enjoy the mountain.”
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